This is alist ofDanish monarchs, that is, the kings and queen regnants of Denmark. This includes:

• The Kingdom of Denmark (up to 1397)
  • Personal union of Denmark and Norway (1380–1397)
• TheKalmar Union (1397–1536)
  • Union of Denmark, Norway and Sweden (1397–1523)
  • Union of Denmark and Norway (1523–1536/1537)
• The United Kingdoms ofDenmark–Norway (1536/1537–1814)
• The Kingdom of Denmark (1814–present)
  • Iceland (since the union betweenDenmark andNorway in 1380; independent kingdom in a personal union with Denmark 1918–1944; a sovereign republic since 1944)
  • Greenland (since the union betweenDenmark andNorway in 1380; effective Danish–Norwegian control began in 1721; integrated into the Danish realm in 1953; internal home rule introduced 1979;self-rule assumed in 2009; Greenland has two out of 179 seats in the Danish parliamentFolketinget)
  • Faroe Islands (since the union betweenDenmark andNorway in 1380; County of Denmark 1816–1948; internal home rule introduced 1948; The Faroe Islands have two out of 179 seats in the Danish parliamentFolketinget)

TheHouse of Oldenburg held the Danish Crown between 1448 and 1863, when it passed to the house ofSchleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, a cadet branch of the same house, patrilineally descended from KingChristian III of Denmark. The kingdom had been elective (although the eldest son or brother of the previous king was usually elected) until 1660, when it became hereditary andabsolutist. Until 1864 Denmark was also united in a personal union with the duchies ofHolstein andSaxe-Lauenburg (1815–1864), and in a political and personal union with the Duchy ofSchleswig.

The exact date of origin of the Kingdom of Denmark is not established, but names of Danish kings begins to emerge in foreign sources from the 8th century and onwards. Danish and Nordic legendary stories,chronicles andsagas often have accounts of Danish kings and dynasties stretching further back in time than the 7th century, but thehistoricity of the content and interpretations of these stories are often put to doubt.

• Chochilaicus—seeHugleik andHygelac—c. 515 AD, mentioned byGregory of Tours (538–594).^[1][2][3] Hugleik, according to the written sources, suffered a defeat in 515 during a naval expedition to the Frankish Empire. Hugleik is the first Danish king mentioned in European sources.^[4]
• Ongendus (Angantyr):c. 710Saint Willibrord wrote about when he visited the Danes, at the time ruled by Ongendus.^[5]
• Harald, named as former king in relating 9th-century events, perhaps model for legendaryHarald Wartooth. Related to the Frisian kingRedbad II who in 754 had to flee to "the land of the Danes" where King Harald reigned ("Daniae Regi Heraldi").^[6]
• Sigfred: 770s–790s
• Gudfred: 804–810, mentioned as Danish king in theTreaty of Heiligen 811.^[1] Alternate spellings: Godfred, Göttrick (German), Godric(Anglicized English), Gøtrik (Danish), Gudrød (Danish)
• Hemming: 810–811/812 TheTreaty of Heiligen was signed in 811 between the Danish King Hemming andCharlemagne.^[1]
• Sigfred, nephew ofGudfred, andAnulo (Anlaufr), grandson or nephew of Harald, fought for the throne and both were killed, perhaps model for the legendarySigurd Hring:c. 812
• Harald Klak and his brothersRagnfrid andHemming Halfdansson: 812–813 and again from 819/827. From 826 he and his household lived in exile with the Frankish emperorLouis the Pious, he was baptized by the bishop of Mainz inIngelheim am Rhein. The last reference of Harald in the written sources are in theAnnals of Fulda which records his execution for treason in 852.^[7]
• Sons of Gudfred (Godrik): 814–820s
  • Horik I: (814) 827–854, King of the Danes (at first ruling jointly with his unnamed brothers). The Frankish annals mention Horik on numerous occasions during the next couple of decades.^[5]
• Horik II: 854–860s. He is believed to have been the immediate successor of Horik I, but the annals are silent about the name of the Danish king for a few years after the disaster of 854. In 857, Horik II allowed Rorik to occupy the part of the kingdom between the sea and theEider. Horik II was still alive in 864, when a letter was addressed to him byPope Nicholas I.^[5]
• Late 9th century kings
  • Bagsecg:c. 860s–871
  • Halfdan: 871–877
  • Sigfred:c. 873–891. It is generally assumed that he was the immediate successor of Horik II, although that is not certain. His year of succession is unknown, but it was between 864 (when Horik II was still king) and his first appearance as king in the Frankish annals in 873. Sigifrid was baptized in 882.[5]
  • Gudfred: 880s
  • Heiligo (Halga): 890s (?), described byAdam of Bremen as the immediate predecessor of the House of Olof.
• The "House of Olaf": late 9th century and early 10th century. This dynasty is described by Adam of Bremen, and members of this claimed dynasty are commemorated by the twoSigtrygg Runestones, which represent contemporary evidence that some of these kings controlled at least part of Denmark.^[8]
  • Olof, said by Adam to have come from Sweden and defeated Heiligo, taking the crown.
  • Gyrd and Gnupa, sons and joint successors of Olof, according to Adam. Gnupa is named byWidukind of Corvey as leader of the Danes in 934, and appears on the Sigtrygg Runestones.
  • Sigtrygg, son of Gnupa, memorialized on the Sigtrygg Runestones, presumably dating from shortly after 934.
• Eric the Victorious of Sweden mentioned by Adam of Bremen and Saxo Grammaticus as ruling Denmark after an invasion by Sweden together with Slavic warriors. Adam of Bremen got the information from Danish kingSweyn II. TheStone of Eric also describes an attack on Hedeby from the same period. Since Eric also, according to another source of Adam of Bremen, invaded the Holy Roman Empire. It virtually requires Eric to have been the king of Denmark. Therefore two independent sources describe Eric as the king of Denmark.^[9][10]

• Ragnar Lodbrok, a legendary king probably in the 9th century, only appears in sagas and late histories, and these accounts are wildly inconsistent. He may be a composite character, a chimera of several historical kings and Vikings.
• Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye (da: Sigurd Orm-i-øje or Snogeøje). Mentioned by lateChronicon Roskildense andRagnarssona þáttr. Said to be king ofZealand andScania, and son ofRagnar Lodbrok. He may be inspired by late 9th century King Sigfred (above).
• Harthacnut (Hardeknud). According to the sagas he is son of Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye, but some historians identify him with Adam's Hardegon, Svein's son, who invaded Denmark fromNorthmannia and supplanted the House of Olof. He may have ruled only part of Denmark, as Adam places the commencement of his long reign between 909 and 915, while the House of Olof was still ruling at least part of Denmark as late as 934. He was father of Gorm the Old.

• Family tree of Danish monarchs
• Succession to the Danish throne
• List of Danish royal consorts
• Coronation of the Danish monarch
• Style of the Danish sovereign
• Danish Crown Regalia
• Danish Orders of Chivalry
• Lists of office-holders

• "Royal Lineage" Royal Family – The Monarchy in Denmark.
  • "Kongerækken" Kongehuset.